Puzo and FFC sent us several mixed signals on Michael's plans for Anthony in a brief scene at Michael's party in III:

First, Michael seems not to be totally objecting to Anthony's plan to become an operatic tenor--as long as he finishes law school as a backup: "If you have a Law degree, you’re taking out insurance." He seems to be acting the role of prudent parent, advising his son that he needs a fallback plan in case he doesn't make it in music--a wise prognostication considering Anthony's debut in Palermo.

Then Anthony replies, "I will always be your son but I will never work for you." Michael had already said, "You can even work for me." I infer that Michael envisioned him in some official capacity in the family enterprise (whatever it was or would be). Did he want Anthony to be chief counsel to Immobiliare? Successor to the Melanoma Poster Boy?

After Anthony leaves, Michael tells Kay, "He throws away greatness." With due respect to our attorneys here: earning a J.D. is not necessarily a one-way ticket to "greatness." Did Michael mean that he wanted Anthony to become "Senator Corleone...Governor Corleone" as Vito had desired for Michael?

Your thoughts?

Yeah TB, I think that Michael intended to use his enormous power to smooth Anthony's path (actually, guarantee) to success. That's the greatness Michael was referring to - he would have Anthony's back and it would propel Anthony to dizzying heights.

Vito greatly admired lawyers (a lawyer can steal more with his briefcase than a 1,000 men with guns), which is why Tom became a lawyer, to please his adopted father. Perhaps those lessons soaked into Michael's head as well, as something great to attain.

As for why he was trying to talk Anthony into it, I don't think it was mixed signals. I perceived it as a father telling his son to get his degree first, he could always sing, hoping the singing thing was something he would outgrow. Perhaps Anthony would come to love the law over music given the passage of time and the work he would have to put in.

Yes, I think that Michael would have used his bought legitimacy with Imobiliare to push Anthony as being the "face" of the Corleone empire, as he himself was meant to do before the Five Families War all those years ago.

The whole point of all the foundations Michael started as well as the purchase of Immobiliare was to have the family become legitimate enough to have Anthony as its legal face. With Hagen dead, and George Hamilton being an interim lawyer, Michael wanted Anthony to head up the legitimate side of things...if only in title (he would have outsourcd the talent). As we can see from the Hagen model, it would have brought Anthony closer to the criminal end of things, and no doubt Michael would have manipulated him in that direction had he been given the opportunity.

I think Michael intended for Anthony the future Vito intended for Michael but that got put on hold by the Barzini plot.

I think Michael wanted Anthony to be a legitimate success not so much for his personal satisfaction, but to fulfill his father's wish.

I would think any father would rather see his son be a lawyer rather than be a
finocchio opera singer... Who wouldn't want to head a billion dollar company?